The North Carolina General Assembly adjourned just after noon on Tuesday, Aug. 11, bringing to a close a very challenging and, at least on budget issues, contentious session. The NCHBA Government Affairs staff was present for every day of the 2009 session, working to protect the interests of the home building industry.

While the state budget dominated committee discussions and news reports, other battles waged. Issues such as annexation, a smoking ban in public places, public campaign financing, changes to the Beach Plan, a ban on texting while driving, railroad corridor management, bullying in schools, revision of public school sex-ed curriculum and procedural changes to cases involving the death penalty were some of the hot topics deliberated by General Assembly members over the seven-month session.

A total of 2,767 bills were introduced in both the House and Senate. Because of the wide range of issues affecting home builders, no other trade association is impacted by as many bills as NCHBA. Of the bills introduced this session, 531, or 19 percent, affected or had the potential to affect the residential construction industry. Despite this challenge, when the General Assembly finally adjourned, it was clear that NCHBA had achieved most of its legislative goals.

Click here to read a complete wrap-up of the legislative session.

Click here for a list of NCHBA's top legislative issues and their outcomes.